Love in Danger
by hope79
Summary: Nora broke up with Patch and fired him as her guardian angel, but can she deal with the pain? Patch is Marcie's guardian angel, but will he find a way to get back to his Angel? This takes place during the events of Crescendo, so you'll recognize things from the book, but the story line is different.
1. Chapter 1: Lost Hope

Chapter 1

NORA POV:

It's been a week since I broke up with Patch. A week since I kissed him. A week since I said I loved him. A week since he left me hanging to go hang around with that _slut._

My phone started ringing, so I took it out and answered it.

"I hear warm-up music, but all I see are train tracks and some abandoned boxcars," Vee's voice came through.

"You're a couple blocks away. Are you in the Neon?"

"Yup."

"I'll come find you."

I went along the sidewalk, looking for Vee's Neon. I suddenly stopped in front of a warehouse. Right in front of it was a black Jeep Commander.

I skipped through my options in my head - I could run back to the Devil's Handbag, I could continue looking for Vee, or I could go up and talk to Patch.

But what would I talk to Patch about? About our break-up? About why he's not my guardian angel anymore? About why he never made an attempt to get me back? About wh-

 _Marcie's in the Jeep Commander_.

I felt my throat constrict as I saw that slut stroking his arm and talking about something - probably something stupid and dirty.

What happened next broke me.

Patch set his hand on her thighs, moved them up, and took off her tube top dress. All she was wearing underneath was a red thong. _Nothing else!_ Part of me started gagging, and the other part wanted to go up to Patch and Marcie and slap them in the face. I watched as Marcie leaned in and kissed Patch, and as he kissed back. He took off his shirt and pushed Marcie back so she was lying on the seat and he was on top of her. He leaned down and –

I couldn't watch anymore. It was all too much. I walked away from them and just walked down random streets until I got to the middle of a dark street and plopped down.

I couldn't believe it. Patch was having sex with Marcie.

I lost all hope of Patch and I getting back together. In fact, this was the second time I had lost someone important to me. I lost my dad. And now I had lost Patch - to someone as egocentric and whorey as Marcie Millar.

I started crying. I couldn't stop, and I didn't want to. I wanted to let the grief wash over me. I wanted to release all of the emotions I had been keeping locked up inside, almost as if to let go of everything, but I know that that's impossible.

After crying for what felt like an hour, I saw a dark and tall figure approaching from the left through my peripheral vision. I didn't even care enough to move away.

PATCH POV:

I was lost. And confused.

 _How the hell could she break up with me?_

 _How the hell could she fire me as her guardian angel?_

 _How the hell was I supposed to protect my Angel if she was being so goddamn stubborn?_

 _How the hell was I supposed to protect a wannabe walking child prostitute like Marcie?_

 _Who the hell does Nora think she is?_

I made a decision. I was going to make the best out of the situation I was stuck in. If Nora was not going to listen to me, I would get her attention another way. I was going to make her jealous with her worst enemy.

My plan went into motion the day of Battle of the Bands at the Devil's Handbag. I picked up Marcie at her house, and on the way, she constantly made sexual suggestions. My first instinct was to shut her out or snap her neck because didn't she know that I was with Nora? Then I realized that Nora and I weren't a thing anymore. That was the reason I was even going with Marcie in the first place.

As she was talking, I looked up into the mirror and was surprised at what I saw. My eyes were filled with desire.

 _What? For Marcie?_

I was only using Marcie to make Nora jealous. I didn't actually feel anything for her. But my eyes showed _desire._

It was only a matter of time before that desire needed to be fulfilled. Once we were near the Devil's Handbag, I turned left and drove until I found a shady looking warehouse to park in front of.

Marcie looked at me from the passenger seat and started whining, "Patch, I thought we were going to the concert!"

I turned to look at her and gave her a seductive smile in return. She beamed with excitement, getting the hint.

She leaned forward and started to stroke my arm, and although I couldn't feel her, my desire went up another notch. But the weird thing was, this desire was different than the one I felt around Nora. This new desire was enticing in a different way, but also kind of shallow at the same time.

"Patch, I wanna make one thing perfectly clear. I'm not looking for a relationship. I don't like messy, complicated things. I don't want hurt feelings, confusing signals, or jealousy - I just want fun. I'm looking for a good time. Think about it."

As I listened to what she was saying, I became aware of two things simultaneously. First was that I found myself agreeing with Marcie. My relationship with Nora had been serious - it was based off of love. But now I couldn't have that because of the archangels. That meant there was nothing wrong with me hanging out with Marcie because, like she said, we would only have fun. Nothing serious and nothing complicated. The idea grew more and more favorable to me.

Second, I sensed out a human watching us from the shadows of the building next to the Jeep. The shadows didn't provide enough darkness to hide her hair from me. It was Nora.

Part of me wanted to push Marcie away and run to Nora and envelop her in my arms. But I crushed that part of me as I realized that this was the perfect moment to fuel the fire inside of Nora's heart.

As she watched in horror, I placed my hands on the outside of Marcie's thighs - which weren't hard to reach because her dress barely reached past her butt. I strategically moved my hands up so they went under her dress. I pulled her dress along as I kept going up, my hands following the outline of her figure. _Damn she's skinny. Unhealthy even. Nora was average, but she leaned towards the skinny side._

Once I completely took off her dress and threw it on the backseat, Marcie got really into it and leaned in towards me and planted an alluring kiss on my lips. I kissed back with that weird desire, keeping my hands on her stomach. The few minutes of making out engendered a new thought in my mind - sex. Apparently, Marcie's mind had reached that thought before me as she was taking my hands and moving it up to her chest.

Hot desire whipped through me. I let go of her to remove my shirt, and I heard her gasp in wonder as she saw my well-built body. I shot her another sultry smile and got back into business. I set the driver's seat back so it was flat. I grabbed and hoisted her over onto the seat so she was lying down on it. I placed my knees on the outside of her red thong and bent down to continue kissing her. _I remember bestriding Nora like this at the motel - the night everything was revealed, the night everything changed, the night that caused the Archangels to be on my case ever since._ I slowly retracted my lips from hers to venture through the uncharted territory of her skin. My lips gradually made their way downwards, and right when I reached her chest, I stopped.

 _What the hell was I doing?!_

 _Was I really going to have sex with Marcie to get back at Nora?_

I never wanted to hurt Nora. I even told her that two months ago, the day I decided I liked her too much to kill her.

I looked out the window, only to see Nora not there anymore. _Why would she be there, idiot? She wouldn't have wanted to see you and Marcie have sex._

I looked down at Marcie, who seemed annoyed at me for stopping when she was having such a good time.

"You should go home, Marcie."

"WHAT?! Who the hell do you think you are? That's not how shit works. You can't just stop in the middle of -"

"I can, and I did. Deal with it."

She looked at me with the most disgusted look on her face and proceeded to put her dress back on. She almost couldn't get it on right - apparently me refusing to go any further with her reduced her self-confidence. _Good._

"Do you expect me to go home by myself?"

She was right. I couldn't do that. The Archangels would bust me.

"Go to Battle of the Bands. Enjoy yourself, but don't get into too much trouble. Call me when you're ready to be picked up."

To be honest, I didn't think Option B was that much of a better choice than Option A, but at least if she was in one place, I could sense if she was in any danger from nearby.

Marcie left without another word. _That's a first._

I took some time alone in the Jeep to ponder my next move. I needed to find Nora and….And apologize? She wouldn't listen. And explain everything? I'd be risking going to hell. I didn't know, but the first step was to find Nora. At least I knew that for sure.

I hopped out and began my search. She couldn't be that far. She was probably also here for the concert - with Vee. I couldn't exactly sense anything - partly because I was no longer her guardian angel, so I couldn't tell if she was safe or not, and partly because my mind was too distracted.

I still couldn't believe that I had done this to Nora. She's probably feeling angry and frustrated and betrayed and _hurt_ –

I couldn't imagine that anymore. It was too painful. I let myself wallow in the shame and regret of what I'd done to block out the image of my Angel in pain.

In addition, I realized why the desire I felt for Marcie was different than what I felt for Nora. I loved Nora, so my desire was motivated by that. My desire for Marcie was not only driven by the hankering to hurt Nora, but also by my own selfish ways. I had wanted to seduce another woman to see what it felt like.

Nora had accused me of being a player when she broke up with me. This incident only proved that I was. _But I wasn't! Nora changed me - she made me better than that._

I was going to prove her wrong.

Throughout all of this thinking, I had walked up and down a dozen streets, and had eventually stumbled upon this dark and derelict alleyway. I almost lost hope on finding her, so when I came upon this heap on the streets, my lungs expanded with so much hope they might have exploded.

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	2. Chapter 2: Engulfed in Anger and Regret

**OK, so this chapter is shorter than the last one, but the next one is longer than the last one, so I think that balances everything out.**

Chapter 2

NORA POV:

"Angel."

All my confusion and misery dissipated as soon as he said that one word. They got replaced with anger and hurt.

"Who the hell do you think you are calling me 'Angel'? You _dare_ call me 'Angel' after having sex with Marcie?" I simmered with anger.

I waited for him to respond. He looked like he was... _ashamed._

"I didn't have sex with Marcie."

"You have the nerve to lie to me?! Don't bother. I saw you and Marcie in the Jeep!" I seethed with rage.

"Look, I don't know what you saw, but we did not have sex. We just…" he trailed off after the last statement, trying either to find the right words or avoid the subject altogether. I wasn't about to let him do the latter.

"You just what? You just stripped her down? You just made out with her? You just laid her down to -"

"I stopped after that." _Yeah right._

"But you also started it."

His Adam's apple went down as he swallowed without giving me a response.

"Just because you ended it doesn't mean it takes away the blame of you starting it."

"Look, I don't want you accusing me right now."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to -" _I don't really care._ I cut him off. I was done with his lies.

"You want me to what? Forget what just happened? Forgive you? No can do, Patch. Do you have any idea what you've done to me? You broke my heart. Over and over again. You hurt me. Over and over again. Do you think I'm just some rag doll that you can play with and seduce? No. I'm done with you. I want you to get the hell out of my life."

By that point I was slapping his chest, too angry to care that he couldn't feel any of it. I turned to walk away from him and his deceit.

 _Patch, I want you to come get me! Don't leave me alone here in the dark!_

I mentally slapped myself for thinking that. I was supposed to be getting rid of Patch and starting over, not begging him to come back.

But my secret wish came true as Patch grabbed me from behind and took me into the building next to us.

PATCH POV:

I came upon her looking so helpless and lost. She was crying really hard, too.

"Angel."

It felt like forever since I had called her that, even though it's only been a week. It hurt to call her that because she wasn't mine anymore.

She got up off the ground with such irate vehemence that the whole world could have shook from her taunting footsteps as she came towards me.

"Who the hell do you think you are calling me 'Angel'? You _dare_ call me 'Angel' after having sex with Marcie?"

Definitely not the response I was looking for. If she thought I had sex with Marcie, then she probably left after she saw me lay her down or something. Still, the thought of what I had done caused more shame and regret to boil within me.

"I didn't have sex with Marcie."

"You have the nerve to lie to me?! Don't bother. I saw you and Marcie in the Jeep!" _I know you did, but I'm not lying._

"Look, I don't know what you saw, but we did not have sex. We just…" To be honest, I didn't even know what we did. But all I knew was that it was not what Nora was accusing me of.

"You just what? You just stripped her down? You just made out with her? You just laid her down to -" _Stop._

"I stopped after that." I almost said 'We stopped' but I realized that Marcie didn't actually want to stop. I was the one who did. I felt that Nora needed to know that it was all me.

"But you also started it."

She got me there. Yup, it was all me alright. I was the one who smiled at Marcie, inviting her to one of the biggest mistakes of my life. That shame and regret swallowed me up again, leaving me too overwhelmed and stunned to give Nora a response.

"Just because you ended it doesn't mean it takes away the blame of you starting it."

"Look, I don't want you accusing me right now." _I want you to just help me get over what I've done. I want you to help me figure out what the hell to do to stay away from hell._

"Then what do you want me to do?" _Listen, accept my apology, and_ _help me._

"I want you to -" She cut me off. _Great._

"You want me to what? Forget what just happened? Forgive you?" _Yah, pretty much._

"No can do, Patch. Do you have any idea what you've done to me? You broke my heart. Over and over again. You hurt me. Over and over again."

 _Broke her heart? She was the one who broke up with me and broke my heart!_ Her jealousy over Marcie showed through once again.

"Do you think I'm just some rag doll that you can play with and seduce?" _No, of course not. You're the one who changed me, who made me a better person. I would never do that to you._

But she never gave me the chance to explain. She was just ranting, and even started to hit me square on the chest. If I could have felt it, my chest would have been red and I would have been on the ground.

"No. I'm done with you. I want you to get the hell out of my life." _No can do, Angel._

She stomped off in the opposite direction, her tirade over, and her wild hair bouncing up and down as she did. I wasn't about to let her do something stupid in the dark, especially in this area of town, and especially with her emotions being so wild and recalcitrant. And I didn't finish what I was about to do - apologize and win her back.

But what would I do after I won her back? It wasn't like I could declare my love for her, now could I? It wasn't like I could tell her what the Archangels were doing to me, now could I? It wasn't like I could tell her that I had to protect Marcie, now could I?

It wasn't me who should be going to hell - it was the Archangels. The Archangels and their stupid rules and ways and decrees and _I JUST CAN'T STAND THEM_. Making me feel like I was in chains. Restricting me from what I really wanted to do – to be with Nora, and to throttle them all and send them to hell.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Nora sigh out in frustration. She was already, what, thirty, forty steps ahead of me? I couldn't let her get away without explaining stuff first.

I caught up to her and wrapped my arms around her waist. It felt so good to have her in my arms again, even if she was being forced to. But I couldn't relish in the moment for too long as she started thrashing around in my arms, trying to be break free from my death grip. Using my back to push open the door into an abandoned warehouse, I walked to the back corner of the building, away from all windows and light, and deposited her onto the floor, keeping my hands on her arms to steady her.

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	3. Chapter 3: Perseverance

Chapter 3

 **I'll be posting on Monday's from now on.**

NORA POV:

It became pitch black as he manhandled me into the warehouse. At least there were street lights outside. He purposefully chose this godforsaken place, although I had no idea on what he planned on doing. I didn't think he would do anything to hurt me, but you never know with Patch.

I almost choked from the last thought. I was beginning to doubt Patch, something I had never done in the two months I had dated him.

"What do you want? I told you to get out of my life." I couldn't see anything in the dark, but I knew that Patch would be standing in front of me, so I just yelled in that direction.

"I didn't think you were that stupid, Nora. Did you honestly think I would do that?"

 _How dare he mock me at a time like this?_

"Just tell me what you want."

"I want you to listen me. _Please._ "

I wanted to say 'no', but something in the way he said that last word made me feel as if I had been pushing him away for far too long. Not that I cared about him and his stupid feelings and his stupid handsome face, but I felt as if I should give him a chance – at least this one time.

"Fine," I replied, almost with an air of dismissal. In response, he breathed out a sigh of relief. I was surprised; it seemed as if Patch had been waiting for this moment for a long time. I perked up in attention. He spoke to me in my mind.

 _I'm going to start out first by saying I'm sorry for hooking up with Marcie. The only reason I did it was to hurt you because I was angry_ _at you for breaking up with me._

I didn't exactly know what to say. I knew I couldn't forgive him just like that. I mean, come on! That was such a pathetic excuse for hanging out with the one person who was dead set on ruining my life since junior high! Although, at the same time, I did feel like I said some harsh things to him right before we broke up. But he moved on, eliminating my chance to say anything.

 _Now, I want to say that there's no reason for you to be jealous of Marcie. She means absolutely nothing to me._

My silence undeniably bothered him, but he continued.

 _Since the beginning, you wanted to know why I was at Marcie's house. The reason? I can't tell you. I can't tell you because of the Archangels. They'll send me to hell if I do. But you have to trust me when I say that I truly have no interest in Marcie. I'm really sorry, Angel. I'm sorry I can't tell you and I'm sorry that I put you through so much pain. Please forgive me._

Goosebumps shot up my arms and legs as soon as he said that dreaded word again: hell. I felt so _stupid_! I should have trusted him right from the start. He truly didn't care about Marcie, only about me. Ugh. My jealousy completely drowned out my reasoning.

"I'm not going to forgive you, Patch, because you didn't do anything that needs to be forgiven. Well, besides the thing with Marcie, but I'm willing to let it go. But I need you to forgive me for not believing you right from the start. I should have trusted you after all that we've been through, but I guess that I…" I took a deep breath and confessed my insecurities to him, "I didn't trust that you felt the same way about me. I'm sorry."

"I'm not going to forgive you, Angel, because you didn't do any-" I cut him off by punching him in the arm and laughing.

"Stop! I was being serious."

"So was I."

I wanted to kiss him, to show him that he didn't have to worry about me and my stupid trust issues anymore, but we both knew that we couldn't show our affection for each other in fear of the Archangels watching. My love and fear morphed into dread at a new thought.

"Patch, this thing with Marcie? Is it, like, really really bad news? Does it put anyone in danger?"

While he contemplated what to say, my anxiety increased to such a point that I thought I might need my iron pills. But I reassured myself by repeating _Patch is here, Patch is here. It'll be alright_ to myself.

He distracted me from my racing thoughts with a surprising statement: "I need to be your guardian angel again."

"Why?" _Was it really that important to become my protector at a time like this?_

"I'll explain later, but for now, just remember that you have to slash your palm and shake it so a few drops of blood fall down onto the earth. Then just look up at the heavens and say that you want me to be your guardian angel again," he said as he took hold of my elbow and hauled me outside. As soon as we were out of the warehouse, I became grateful for the lights illuminating the buildings around us.

"Let's go to your house and do it."

I nodded in response and let him drag me to his Jeep. While he turned on the lights and heat, I looked back to see something shiny lying on the carpet. _Marcie's gold earring._ I got sick again with the thought of them in this car together…

Patch sensed my discomfort and turned around to see what I was looking at. He snatched it threw it out the open window.

I smiled. _She's probably going to complain to her daddy that she lost her million dollar earring. Well serves her right for trying to get with my boyfriend. That reminds me..._

PATCH POV:

I let go of her arms so she could recover from my surprise attack. I could see her perfectly in the darkness although she was pretty much blind. Sensing out the direction of my breathing, she looked at me, enraged by my actions.

"What do you want? I told you to get out of my life."

"I didn't think you were that stupid, Nora. Did you honestly think I would do that?" Surely, she didn't. But, she decided not to answer my question.

"Just tell me what you want."

"I want you to listen me. _Please._ " I was running out of chances and time; I really needed her to listen.

"Fine."

I let go of the breath that I was holding in. I was honestly surprised that she gave me a chance; I thought that I would have to resort to mind-tricking to get her to listen, although I really didn't want to do that. I decided to speak to her in her mind.

 _I'm going to start out first by saying I'm sorry for hooking up with Marcie. The only reason I did it was to hurt you because I was angry_ _at you for breaking up with me._

I waited for her to respond. _Anything._ Did she accept my apology? Could she forgive me? On the other hand, I was afraid to hear what she had to say. What if she started yelling at me again? What if she was too angry and too jealous to actually pay attention to what I was saying? I didn't want any of that, so I continued my explanation.

 _Now, I want to say that there's no reason for you to be jealous of Marcie. She means absolutely nothing to me._

Marcie was a mistake. I needed her to understand that she was and would be the only one to ever have my full attention.

 _Why wasn't she saying anything?_

This not only frustrated, but also made me uncomfortable.

Was she doing this on purpose? Was that her plan? To make me regret the things I'd done to her?

Or was it possible she was debating what to say to me in her head?

I didn't know, but I continued. I had finally gotten to the details that Nora had wanted from me since the day that we broke up.

 _Since the beginning, you wanted to know why I was at Marcie's house. The reason? I can't tell you. I can't tell you because of the Archangels. They'll send me to hell if I do. But you have to trust me when I say that I truly have no interest in Marcie. I'm really sorry, Angel. I'm sorry I can't tell you and I'm sorry that I put you through so much pain. Please forgive me._

Watching her made me feel as if she was in a horror movie and I was the killer. Her jaw dropped, shock and horror spreading over her features – _because of me._ Even though I still couldn't tell what was going on in her head, one thing became clear: there was an additional emotion present on her face – _regret._

"I'm not going to forgive you, Patch, because you didn't do anything that needs to be forgiven. Well, besides the thing with Marcie, but I'm willing to let it go." Relief flooded my mind as she said those words.

"But I need you to forgive me for not believing you right from the start. I should have trusted you after all that we've been through, but I guess that I… I didn't trust that you felt the same way about me. I'm sorry." _Damn right you should be sorry! How could you have thought that I left you to go be with Marcie? How could you have thought that I didn't love you? Do you have any idea what you put me through? I was in pain without you by my side. I was in pain not knowing whether you were safe or not when I wasn't around._

I didn't say that to her, as that would only increase the weight of her burden. Instead, I tried to relieve her of it.

"I'm not going to forgive you, Angel, because you didn't do any-" She interrupted me by hitting me playfully. And then she started laughing. _At a time like this_. At least she was feeling better.

"Stop! I was being serious."

"So was I."

I looked at her, swallowing my desire to touch her. She looked so beautiful in the darkness.

"Patch, this thing with Marcie? Is it, like, really really bad news?" The apprehension in her voice transferred to my stomach as I took in her words.

It was definitely bad news. Pondering what exactly to say, I noticed that she looked a little sick.

She looked a little calmer as she asked, "Does it put anyone in danger?"

 _Yes_ _. You._ I suddenly remembered that I was only Marcie's guardian angel, not Nora's.

"I need to be your guardian angel again."

"Why?" _What do you mean, 'Why'? I have been over here, struggling to try to keep you safe because you were stupid and fired me as your guardian angel, and you're asking me 'Why'!_

I took a moment to collect myself and gently replied, "I'll explain later, but for now, just remember that you have to slash your palm and shake it so a few drops of blood fall down onto the earth. Then just look up at the heavens and say that you want me to be your guardian angel again."

Gripping her arm to guide her in the darkness, I led her outside into the street. Looking down at her, I saw goosebumps rise up in her arms, and I'm guessing from the cold.

The easiest place to swear the blood oath would be her home: it was safe and surrounded by nature. "Let's go to your house and do it."

We walked together to the Jeep, and I couldn't help but wish that things were different. We should have been laughing and holding hands and getting to know each other better, not trudging through shadows, unable to express our love and affection for each other. _Those Archangels…_

I opened the door for her and watched as she climbed in with a sad face. _I feel the same way, Angel._

I turned on the Jeep and adjusted the heater so she wouldn't be cold anymore. I looked over at her, and she seemed uneasy as she stared at something in horror. I turned back and saw Marcie's earring lying there from our earlier rendezvous.

Regret filled me yet again; not wishing to live in it any longer, I simply just took the stupid piece of jewelry, lowered my window, and threw it out. To my pleasure, it landed in the mud lining the curb.

I lightened up a little bit, happy to see my Angel cheerful again.

 **I literally had to change this chapter around three times because I kept finding mistakes and inaccuracies…It's why it took so long to post. But anyways, hope you enjoyed it!**

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	4. Chapter 4: Together

Chapter 4

NORA POV:

"Patch, after you become my guardian angel again, what…" I took a deep breath and rephrased my question, "Will we get back together? Or will the Archangels disapprove of that?"

He apparently didn't have the answer as his eyes looked lost and regretful.

"We'll think about that later." I frowned at his curt response, but I understood that he was as scared and clueless as I was.

The rest of the drive to the farmhouse was silent. We just sat peacefully in each other's company, trying not to worry about the future. Looking down at his hand, I felt the urge to hold it, to remember the feel of his warm touch.

Bittersweet memories kept popping up in my head, refusing to leave me be.

Just then, out of the blue, Patch piped up with a question, distracting me from my racing thoughts, "What do you think of my outfit?"

 _What?!_ _Did he just ask me -?_

I burst out laughing; I couldn't breathe.

After a couple minutes, he must have gotten annoyed at my outburst because he said, "Hey! Are you going to answer my question or not?"

"What do you mean? You wear black every day!"

"That isn't true. Sometimes I wear dark gray instead of black."

That caused me to giggle even harder. Patch was the type of guy to make innuendos, not make a girl giggle.

We reached the farmhouse a few minutes later.

"Your mom home?" he asked as got out of the Jeep.

I followed him to the back of the house and replied, "No." She was out of town for the next couple days.

He took out a knife from his pockets and handed it to me.

"Remember what I said?"

"Yah."

 _It'll be OK._ His breath in my mind calmed me a little bit.

I took a deep breath and slashed my left palm, gazing at the blood instantly forming around the slit. Cupping my hand, I let a few drops fall down onto the dirt, took another deep breath, looked up at the nighttime sky and declared, "I want Patch Cipriano to be my guardian angel again."

As I turned to look at Patch, I felt a strong, eerie wind blow across my face, heading toward the woods. I felt as if my soul just vanished for a second… _What just happened?_

Patch looked relieved yet on edge, but I still wasn't sure if it worked or not, since this whole angel business thing was still new to me.

"Did it work? Are you my guardian angel again?"

"Yes."

"Were those the Archangels?" It came out as a whisper.

"Yes." _What's with the one word responses?_

"Well, what did they say?"

"The same things as before." _Can't you be a little bit more specific?_

I tried asking something else. "Why was it so important that you be my guardian angel again?"

"I couldn't physically intervene when it came to your safety. It hurt me to know that if you were harmed, I could only watch but never help you, Angel." He looked at me with so much regret and sorrow that it hurt me to know that I had hurt him.

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice breaking, my eyes threatening to produce tears. The awful realization hit me again - I had caused him just as much pain as he had caused me. I had refused to give him my trust because my jealousy had taken residence and held me captive in my own mind. I was caught up in my own conspiracies and hate that I never once thought what it would have been like for him to go through everything. I had left him alone when he needed me most. But, I couldn't deny the fact that he also hurt me by kissing Marcie. I had wanted explanations from him, but he had chosen to ignore and leave me. He had also left me alone when I needed him most.

"Hey." He tilted my chin up so I was looking straight into his darker than midnight eyes.

"It's all in the past now. All we have now is a beautiful present and a brilliant future ahead of us."

He said it so confidently that I felt like I could almost believe it. But only almost. I knew that the Archangels wouldn't let us live in peace. Just then, he gave me a dazzling smile that made all my fears and regrets disappear and get lost in my mind.

Again, the compulsion to kiss him almost took over my control as we walked back into the house, and the thought of not having him in my arms drove me crazy, but I managed to resist and looked at him with wonder, wondering how he could still be here for me after all that I've put him through.

...

As we entered the house, Patch went ahead to tour the house and make sure it was safe.

I started getting out some food – all that talking and forgiving made me hungry.

When he was done, he looked at me. He looked at me with love and regret. I flashed a smile, hoping it would relieve him of his stress.

"I don't want to leave you alone, but I have some business to get to."

"What kind of business?" I didn't want him to leave either, partly because I was scared to be alone, and partly because I just didn't want to be without him.

"Archangel business."

I sighed, knowing that he had to go.

"Don't worry, I'll come back around later in the morning."

 _Later in the morning? What did he mean by later?_ Turning around to see the clock, I gasped as it showed 1:24 AM. I didn't know that it was _that_ late. The realization brought the exhaustion of being up for so long.

"OK. Bye," I yawned. I didn't mean to be so blatant, but I was tired; Patch seemed to understand as he smiled and went out the door.

I locked the door and went upstairs to my bedroom. I was too tired to even change into my pajamas as I plopped down onto my bed.

PATCH POV:

As we sped off into the distance, a sense of comfort overtook me as I took in my situation. _Nora was back by my side_. She wasn't fighting me anymore, and I wasn't struggling to win her back anymore. She was here besides me, and I instantly felt stronger.

Just then, her distraught voice filled the car as she asked, "Patch, after you become my guardian angel again, what…Will we get back together? Or will the Archangels disapprove of that?"

 _I don't know, Angel._ But I did know that the Archangels disapproved of pretty much everything, including my becoming an angel of Heaven again.

"We'll think about that later."

Driving through the dark and desolate dirt roads, I started overthinking again.

 _How in the hell was I supposed to be with Nora without the Archangels eyeing my every move?_

 _How was I supposed to make peace with the Archangels in the first place?_

 _How could I continue to look over Marcie without her annoying the hell out of me?_

 _How long would I be able to keep this from Rixon?_

 _How long until I find out who exactly is trying to kill Nora? Please, don't be Rixon…_

It was an explosion. A bomb, brimming with concerns, fury, danger, rage, darting this way and that, detonated in my mind, leaving it nothing but shreds of blackness and smoke.

I couldn't afford to think like this anymore, especially if I wanted to make it out of this alive with Nora by side. I needed to calm down and organize my thoughts before I could do anything.

Sneaking a peek to see how she was dealing, I saw a frown find its way onto Angel's face. I guess she was as worried as I was, but I didn't want to see her like this.

I felt my sleeves slide down my arms as I turned left. So, keeping my eyes on the road, I quickly took my hands of the steering wheel and rolled my sleeves back up. And just then, inspiration struck – something to lighten the mood, to make my Angel warm up a little bit.

"What do you think of my outfit?"

She literally burst out laughing; I felt relieved that she was no longer distressed, and proud that I had diverted her from her unease.

After a while, I had to fight to keep a smirk from appearing on my face, because she still hadn't stopped laughing, and exclaimed, "Hey! Are you going to answer my question or not?"

"What do you mean? You wear black every day!" She barely got the words out through all of that giggling. I never wanted her to stop laughing – it was one of the sweetest sounds in the world.

So, I continued with, "That isn't true. Sometimes I wear dark gray instead of black."

 _She just snorted. Can't get cuter than this._ At that point, I gave up the battle, smirking freely, and hoping that she wouldn't look over and get mad.

Once we got to her home, I got a weird feeling. Half of me refused to leave her alone, especially right after we forgave each other. The other half knew that I had to take care of business before I could be with her and figure out how to be a couple again.

I shook off my worries and asked, "Your mom home?" Blythe wasn't _particularly fond_ of me, so it would have been awkward if she had found me with her daughter.

"No." _Good._

I walked to the back of her house, and reached in my pocket to get out the pocketknife.

"Remember what I said?" As she took the knife from my hands, I noticed her small hands shaking from fear.

"Yah."

 _It'll be OK,_ I whispered into her mind.

And with that, she swore the blood oath.

The moonlight illuminated her face, highlighting her beautiful features, and it just stayed frozen like that. In fact, everything around us – bugs and wind alike – turned still. _The Archangels had arrived._

I could sense them to the left of us **;** I turned to face them.

"Patch." They said my name carefully, as if I wouldn't like what they were about to say.

"Yes?" My voice was icy and showed anger. They ignored my distrust and continued.

"You are once again Nora's guardian angel. But, Patch?"

"Yes?" I repeated, a little more aggravated this time. Why can't they just get to the point?

"Screw this up one more time, and you'll be sent to hell. No more -"

"What do you mean 'one more time'? I wasn't the one who messed things up! She was the one who fired me!" I bellowed in anger, although I'm pretty sure it sounded like I was whining.

"You fell in love with her."

 _True._ They left without a trace, leaving me to my Angel.

I was pissed off at them for reminding me of my past and my consequences if I messed up, but at least I could keep Nora safe.

She looked up at me, doubtful.

"Did it work? Are you my guardian angel again?"

"Yes."

"Were those the Archangels?"

"Yes."

"Well, what did they say?"

"The same things as before." _Don't fall in love…_

"Why was it so important that you be my guardian angel again?"

"I couldn't physically intervene when it came to your safety. It hurt me to know that if you were harmed, I could only watch but never help you, Angel." It still hurt to think about.

"I'm sorry."

I could tell that she would start crying soon if I didn't do anything.

"Hey." Using my index finger, I lifted her chin up so she was looking straight at me.

"It's all in the past now. All we have now is a beautiful present and a brilliant future ahead of us."

I smiled to reassure her, and sure enough, she smiled back with happiness and relief glowing in her eyes.

...

I strolled in and started checking out all of the rooms to ensure Nora's safety while I wasn't here.

When I got to her bedroom, I stopped and absorbed all of the different aspects of her room.

I imagined us lying in those lavender sheets together, my hands wrapped around her waist, her red hair on my chest, us laughing.

I pictured us making out by her wardrobe, and me disappearing once her mom came into the room.

I thought of how perfect of a couple we would be, although I knew we would have our ups and downs to face.

I went out of her room, and made it halfway down the stairs before I saw Nora.

She looked so _beautiful_ making a chicken pot pie.

Like honestly, _a chicken pot pie._

She didn't see me yet, and I took that to my advantage. She moved gracefully - all of her - her elegant and soft skin, her uncontrollable hair, the regal air surrounding her.

I broke my gaze from her as I descended the stairs.

She noticed me and smiled. I didn't. I simply stared at her; I loved her, but I couldn't love her. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was leave her on her own, vulnerable and miserable.

"I don't want to leave you alone, but I have some business to get to."

"What kind of business?" She looked at me with longing, fear, and disappointment - what, did she want to get with me tonight? She knew that it wasn't possible, but I guess she was still clinging onto hope, much unlike me.

"Archangel business," I said, to which she replied with a reluctant sigh.

"Don't worry, I'll come back around later in the morning," I attempted to reassure her. Instead, she looked panicked as she realized that it was past one. I smirked at her response; I expected her to retaliate because she was just that childish, but she didn't. On the contrary, she just said, "OK. Bye."

 _What, was she kicking me out already? Was she mad at me for leaving her?_ I got ready to explain myself, but stopped when I saw her yawn.

 _Oh._ She was just tired. I couldn't blame her - it was extremely late at night, and she _was_ a human.

I nodded with understanding, smiling at the hasty conclusion I came up with to her kicking me out. I closed the door behind me and waited to hear the 'click' sound of her locking it.I flew up to her bedroom window to make sure she went right to sleep. Once she dropped like a stone onto her bed, I took off.

 **S/o to my BFF for giving me an amazing idea! I couldn't think of what would happen to Patch after Nora rehired him as her guardian angel, but my friend came to my rescue and told me that I should make everything freeze! She also came up with the title of the story!**

 **Please review! I will be expecting at least 2-3 reviews for this chapter…**


	5. Chapter 5: Perplexity

Chapter 5

 **Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Sorry I was late in updating, but I went through severe writer's block writing this. However, this chapter is the longest I've written so far so hopefully that makes up for it.**

NORA POV:

"Still scared of heights, Angel?"

"Not if you're here with me, Patch."

He smiled down at me and I swear to God it looked so perfect on his face I stopped paying attention to where I was going and almost ran into a guy.

I looked up from my stumble and said, "Sorry."

In return, he gave me a smile showing all of his pearly white teeth and replied, "It's cool."

I don't know why, but I felt uncomfortable with the way he was looking at me. Maybe it was the fact that he kept staring at my -

Patch grabbed my hand again and dragged us away from the dude. While we were passing him, I didn't miss Patch give him the death glare, and instantly the guy shrunk back, frightened, and speed walked out of our vicinity.

I stifled my giggles as I turned forward again and continued walking. Sometimes, things seemed too good to be true – almost as if it were a dream.

"That wasn't funny, Angel."

"Well, what you did to him was."

"What? What did I do to him?" I could see the mischievous glint in his eyes as he said that. I knew he mind tricked the fellow. Usually I would have felt bad, but this guy deserved it. Serves him right for being a pervert.

As we walked towards the Archangel, fear settled into my stomach. I might have told Patch that I wasn't scared, but the truth was, I was. I felt like this not only was a terrifying, rickety old rollercoaster that would one day be the death of me, but also represented the night that Patch tried to kill me. I knew he fell in love with me, but it was still a dark time in our past.

Patch squeezed my hand, as if he could sense that I was uneasy entering the line to the rollercoaster.

 _What's wrong, Angel?_

"Nothing, Patch."

 _Do you trust me?_

I nodded my head in response, although I wasn't sure where he was taking me with this.

 _Then tell me what's wrong._

"I'm just scared. I'm scared because…the last time we came here…," I drifted. I didn't want to finish the sentence. I felt stupid because this stupid old park ride was causing me this much stupid pain and stupid anxiety.

He tilted my chin up with his finger, forcing me to look into the inky depths of his eyes.

"Angel. It's all in the past. I'm not like that anymore. I've changed, Nora. I've changed because of you. _I changed for you._ There's no need to be afraid."

I could feel the pain radiating from his words, but worst of all, I could see the hurt in his eyes. I wrapped my arms around him, breathing in the earth and mint scent that only belonged to him.

"I'm not afraid, Patch."

...

Once we got onto the ride, I grabbed Patch's hand and held onto it with an iron grip. He chuckled but didn't say anything.

As we climbed up to the top, I felt my fear of the drop getting heavier and heavier. How did I let Patch convince me to go on this ride? Him and his handsome face.

Right before we reached the top, Patch called out my name. As I turned around to face him, he quickly grabbed my face and kissed me. And I swear to God he charmed me with his warm touch all over again.

Every time we kissed, it felt like the first time. Every time, I remembered my breakdown at the motel, when I was furious at Patch for lying to me, and when he didn't care and just plunged his lips down on mine. Every time, I felt like he shared some of his dangerous spark with me through our lips.

But it only lasted a moment before he pulled back and hollered, "Arms up in the air!"

Right before we raced down the track he grabbed my hand and lifted it up in the air. A laugh-mixed-in-with-a-scream bubbled up my throat as the coaster went this way and that, all the while never letting go of Patch.

...

"That was fun."

"If you want some real fun, we should play together sometime."

I gasped at the innuendo and tried to smack his arm, but he seized mine instead and backed me up against a shed near the edge of the park.

"Let's go inside," he mumbled.

I didn't think we were allowed inside, but I figured that Patch could get away with anything, so I obliged.

He led us into the shed and started kissing me. His hands travelled down my face, tickled their way down my neck, slid down my arms, before making their way to the sides of my stomach.

Unfortunately, it was dark inside, so I couldn't see Patch. Apparently, whoever built this place decided not to include windows for whatever reason.

"Patch." My breath caught as I said his name.

 _Yah?_

"Patch, we shouldn't be in here."

He pulled back – making me wish I hadn't said that – and I could envision a smirk plastered on his face.

"Who said?"

"This is for Delphic staff. And even if you don't follow rules, I still have some morals to abide to."

"I want to show you something." _Did he not listen to what I just said? The nerve this boy has…_

Without letting me respond, he dragged me to what I assumed was the back of the shed. There was the sound of a door opening, and then the feel of sparks shooting through me as his hands gripped my waist and lifted me down onto the ground. The idea that we were trespassing still clouded my thoughts.

"Don't worry, Angel. We're not breaking any rules. This was all built by fallen angels – the tunnels underneath and the park up above."

"Why did they have to make it so dark?"

That brought a chuckle out of him, but he didn't answer my question.

He guided me through the pathways, occasionally turning this way and that. Eventually, we came upon a door. We went in, and Patch lit a candle. _Finally._ He didn't stop there – he went around the place and continued lighting up candles.

"Welcome to my home." A gasp jerked its way out of my mouth. _This was his home?_

I wasn't actually sure what I was expecting, but I never thought his home would be this…immaculate. Especially for a boy.

A few paintings hung from the walls – some abstract and some vivid and detailed. I wasn't sure if Patch picked them because they looked cool, or if they actually had some thoughtful meaning to them. Either way, they made what I presumed was the living room look modern and stylistic.

His studio screamed elegance and sophistication – the furniture, the shades of black, grey, and navy, the coruscating black granite enclosing the rooms. I found it hard to stop staring at everything, and when I looked over at Patch in awe, he was smirking at me.

"If you're hungry, there's the kitchen on the left, or bedroom in the back."

That earned him a smack on the arm.

"Your place looks really nice, Patch."

"You look surprised."

"Well…I didn't expect it to be this…neat…and cool."

"Because…?"

Fighting a blush to keep from appearing on my face, I tried to change the subject.

"Do you actually have food in the kitchen?"

"No."

"Then, what's it there for?"

He shrugged, and started towards me.

In response, I took a few steps backwards, my back hitting a door. I quickly turned and opened the door, but didn't make it through before warm hands grabbed my hips and pulled me back. A laugh climbed its way up my throat as he turned me around and plopped us onto his bed.

"This feels like magic!"

"Black silk. You know, you can stay here for as long as you like."

"Thanks, but I have a curfew to beat tonight."

"Come on, Angel," he groaned.

I laughed at his reaction and rolled off of the bed.

"You sure you have to go? I can convince your mom to let you stay over…" he trailed off, with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Patch! How _dare_ you think of mind-tricking my mom?"

"I never said that."

"But you implied it." I decided to let him off the hook – just this once – and continued towards the door, with Patch following close behind.

To be honest, I didn't want to leave his home – I mean, I had finally gotten the chance to his secret lair and I had to leave immediately – but moms will be moms.

Patch led us through the black labyrinth while I dragged my hands along the walls of the tunnel.

He boosted me up onto the shed, and immediately I felt something wrong in the air. As Patch came up beside me and rejoined our hands, I felt this wind rush by me, and it was as if my body and mind weren't together, as if I just _died_ or something.

A tornado started forming in the middle of the room, made up of that scary wind. _What was happening?_ I squeezed Patch's hand, asking my silent question.

I never got my response.

The wind lashed at me, pulling me away from him.

"Patch!" was the last thing I got out of my mouth before everything turned black.

...

"Honey! Are you coming?"

"In five minutes!" _Why was she rushing so much?_

I applied just a little bit of makeup before I descended down the stairs. I walked into the kitchen to be greeted by a giant smile on my mother's face. Instantly, I smiled back – my mom didn't do it too often, ever since Dad died. And in those rare moments that she did, I felt that I could trust life – I could trust that things might not be so bad, that she and I could make it together despite everything that's happened.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

I groaned in reply; I hated surprises: either you get to meet Brad Pitt for your Sweet 16 or you find out that someone you trusted and liked very much had actually tried to kill you.

I didn't even have time to eat breakfast as my mom grabbed my hand and rushed us out the door.

"Mom! I'm _starving!_ "

"We'll get something to eat later, now come on!"

I've never seen my mom this excited before. I decided to shove away my doubts and hop into the car. Listening to baroque music, we sped down the streets, the wind jumbling our hair.

After about fifteen minutes, my mom broke down and told me: "We're going to buy a new car!"

"What!" _We were going to buy a new car?! No more carpooling with Vee in her Neon…No more riding in shame in that rusty old Fiat Spider…_

"Mom, this is awesome!"

"Wait till you hear what _type_ of car we're buying!"

"What type?"

"A Toyota!" she exclaimed.

"That's cool." I didn't understand why she was so thrilled about buying a Toyota. I mean, they're cool but not _that_ cool.

After a few minutes at the dealership, we rolled out of the dealership, my mom in the Fiat, and me in the new Toyota. It was a compromise for not letting me go out and grab something to eat during those long, uneventful minutes…

When we got to Enzo's, I ordered a roasted veggie egg sandwich while my mom ordered some coffee. As she and I chatted before our meals were ready, I noticed out of the corner of my eye Vee and Rixon sitting together at a booth in the corner of the café.

 _They're out on a date – that's so cute!_

Although I wanted to go over and squeal with my best friend about her new boyfriend, I resisted the urge and continued talking with my mom.

But another sneaky look at the couple revealed that they were fighting. Vee was one second away from shrieking, and Rixon was frowning, a vicious rage simmering right at the surface, unbeknownst to Vee in her hysterical state.

"Mom, I'm just going to check on Vee and her new boyfriend. Looks like they're having a fight."

My mom nodded and I headed off to their booth. Obviously I would take Vee's side, but I would try to force some logic into her brain, also.

"Hey guys. What's going on?"

I immediately regretted asking them that. They both started yelling at the same time, tripping over each other's words to get the message across. _Very mature._

"Shut up!" I screamed at them, shocking them into silence. I really wanted them to solve their problems out together, without my help, but it didn't seem as if the two were the patiently-negotiating type.

"Vee, tell me what's going on."

"He -" Vee said, but Rixon cut her off just as soon as she had started.

"She's the one who just won't listen to me!"

Clearly being in the same room together wouldn't work.

"Vee, you come along with me -"

"I'm not getting up! I ordered a double chocolate chip frappuccino and I'm not leaving till I get it!"

 _Leave it to Vee to care more about food than her boyfriend._

"Okay, fine. Rixon, you come with me." Thankfully, he listened and followed me out the café.

Once we were outside, I asked him, "What are you two fighting about? You started dating like a couple weeks ago."

"I have to kill someone."

 _Excuse me, what?_

"What did you just say?"

"I have to kill someone." This time he said it slowly and clearly, as if I was too stupid to understand the first time.

I was still too stunned by his statement. _Was he playing some sort of joke on me?_

"Guess who?" It was instantly clear that he wasn't joking. His tone turned from whiny to menacing in one second, making me wish that I had forced Vee outside instead.

I swallowed and backed up against the wall. Rixon was Patch's best friend – he wouldn't hurt me. The growing threat prowling in his eyes made me seriously doubt it, though.

"Rixon…I just wanted to know why you two were fighting. You don't need to get upset over that."

That made him laugh. Correction. That made him _growl._

"You have no idea, do you? You're so pathetic, love. Really. Stop. My stomach is hurting from all this laughter."

A wave of obscenities rippled through my head as he ridiculed me.

And then, as fast as a flick of the switch, his jovial laughter corroded down into the hard, hostile tone once more.

"You." That one word made my body go frigid, and I couldn't move as he took out a knife from his back pocket and held it to my throat. I searched his eyes in peril. _Was he really going to do this? Why?_

Before I had any chance to say something to save my life before it was lost to this maniac, Rixon put pressure on the knife, luring some blood out of the slit.

I gasped. He was really going to do this!

But he didn't stop there. The pressure on my neck grew to an alarmingly painful amount. Blood spilled everywhere, and I -

...

"Nora."

"Yes, mother?"

"The messenger has come. Go and invite him inside."

"I shall, mother."

I hurried down the spiral staircase into the main foyer. I had ambivalent feelings toward the messenger; he was charming, but he tried a little too hard to be _my_ Prince Charming.

Opening the door, I found myself face to face with Scott.

"Greetings, milady." He grinned, and I smiled back just to be polite.

"Greetings, Scott."

"I must say, you look splendid in that gown."

I was wearing a lavender silk dressing gown with pearls stitched down the middle. It was one of my favorites, and despite trying my hardest, my blush showed through.

"Thank you."

He was still smiling; in fact, it was wider than before.

"Well, come inside, Scott. What news do you have for us today?"

"I cannot discuss the matters with you, milady."

"Why?"

"The news is only meant for King Harrison."

"Scott, I - "

"Sorry, Princess."

He made his way past me and started up the stairs, but I stopped him there.

"My father is in his bedroom. I will go and call him downstairs."

He nodded and waited in the foyer.

I climbed the stairs and made my way to my parents' bedroom. I knocked on the door, waiting to hear my father's gruff voice saying that I could come in.

But all I heard was him grunt in response. I sighed and entered the room.

"The messenger has arrived. He says he needs to speak with you in private."

My father nodded, rising from his chair.

It was becoming harder and harder to look at my father lately. His eyes no longer radiated warmth and love; instead, they grew cold, always worried and calculating. I did not know what made him like this, and I was too afraid to ask.

I could see it in my mother also. There was a new lingering despair in her movements, and a tinge of guilt along with it. It was hard to picture what sin my mother could have committed to make her feel this way.

They were both good, honest people, and I felt the urge to amend their problems because they did not deserve this.

Sometimes, a sense of apprehension settled into my stomach, like an evil omen. I ignored it most of the time, but I had no idea what to associate that feeling with.

"Tell him to come up here."

I frowned. My father never invited anyone to the second floor, let alone his bedroom.

"But father, I do not think that that is safe."

"Please, Nora."

Groaning in my mind, I went to fetch the messenger.

"Father would like you to speak with him upstairs."

Together, we ascended the stairs, and I led him to my father's room. Once he went inside and closed the door, I put my ear to the door and listened to their conversation.

"What news do you bring me, boy?"

"Something that might just tear you and your family apart." At this, there was a dark undertone threatening to escape from his words, but I was not sure if I imagined it or not. What did he mean? Were we in danger? Was this what my father was fretting about? Did both my mother and father know and keep it hidden from me?

"Tell me what it is." I could tell my father was trying to conceal his alarm.

I became frustrated as I could no longer hear their conversation. They must have moved to the back of the bedroom.

Muffled cries arose from the room, and I was clueless as to what was happening. Did the news upset my father? Was it so startling that he cried out in emotion?

And then altogether, the room grew quiet. It was as if they both had vanished.

I quietly opened the door, half-expecting my father to reprimand me for interrupting their important conversation.

Confused, I went to the bathroom attached to their bedroom; where did they go?

I could not hear anything from the bathroom either, so I cautiously opened the door, only to find something blocking the door from opening fully.

I looked down and saw my father lying on the ground with a gaping hole spouting blood in the middle of his chest.

"Father!"

I fell down by his side, trying desperately to get him to wake up, but it was no use. His eyes remained closed and his pulse was no more.

 _Who could have done this to him?_

Father was speaking with -

 _Scott._

Tears erupted from my eyes, violently streaming down my face.

 _Father_ and _Scott_ kept blazing through my mind, right before I fainted from shock.

...

 _Where am I?_

Hard, cold cement surrounded me. The only light in the room came from behind me. I turned around to see a black barred gate located on to the far right of the wall. _Was I in some sort of dungeon? How in the hell did I end up here?_ I raised my hands to my eyes and looked down at my feet – there were no shackles restraining me. At least I was free to move about.

I stood up and proceeded to the gate when suddenly, a severe pain exploded in my head preventing me from moving. Part of me wanted to just let go and drop to the floor. It was more than a headache – I couldn't think straight. I couldn't remember how I got here, and it was frustrating me beyond lengths.

The other part was something foreign to me – a newfound determination. I had no idea where it came from, but I didn't question it. I listened to it and found myself placing one foot in front of the other, heading towards the gate once more.

As soon as I reached it, I collapsed against it, breathless from the exhaustingly painful trek. I took a few moments to get my body under control and gazed out the gate.

There was one lantern hanging from the ceiling in the middle of what seemed like a tunnel leading from my gate. I tried pushing it open and realized that it was locked. And there was no key in sight.

At that point, I had stopped racking my brain for any memory of arriving here. I would just have to figure out another way to escape and take revenge on my kidnappers.

Speaking of them…

I heard some voices echoing around in the chamber. They were getting louder and louder and I realized that they were probably approaching the room that I was in.

 _Should I go back and pretend I'm still knocked out?_

Trying to move back, I quickly dashed that thought. There was no way I was getting anywhere – I was physically incapable of doing anything and the pain in my head still hadn't subsided. In fact, it was throbbing even worse now that my captors were near.

"Patch!" It was a female voice. The way she spoke hinted of seduction and games and lies.

The word seemed familiar to me. _Patch. Paaatch. Paaahtch._ I rolled the word around in my mind until it faded into oblivion. _Was it someone's name?_

And sure enough, a husky voice claimed the name: "I'll take you up on that offer."

A giggle from the girl transformed into a red-hot moan. _Oh my god, they were getting it on right outside my chamber!_

Silently gagging, I peeked out to see who they were. It looked like a teenage couple. The girl's outfit screamed slut and the guy's muscles spelled out h-o-t.

As I scrutinized them, they're familiarity hit me like a ton of bricks. I _knew_ them, but from where I had no idea. And I don't think I liked the girl; the boy, however, was something different. I had hoped that more memories would come flooding back to me, but my mind remained as blank as ever.

She kept sighing his name, and at that point I slowly crouched back into my cell.

 _Patch. Paaaaaaaaatch. I knew the name._

And then suddenly it hit me.

 _Patch was my boyfriend! But then why would he be with –_

 _Marcie!_

 _They shouldn't be together!_

 _Patch and Marcie!_

 _Patch and Marcie!_

 _Patch and Marcie!_

 _Patch and –_

I gasped and opened my eyes. It took me a while to get accustomed to my surroundings. I looked around and slowly grasped that I was in my room, and that my head hurt.

 _Had I been dreaming? Well, it was more of a nightmare than a dream._

The only image left in my head was of Patch and Marcie…together.

But something told me that I had dreamed more than just _that_. Panic overtook me as I came to the realization that I couldn't remember what I had dreamed – and I figured that I had dreamed something important.

So what exactly had I dreamed about?

 **School is starting soon, so I won't be able to give y'all a definite time on when my next updates will be. That honestly sucks, and I apologize in advance for it, but I will try my best to update w/o leaving you guys hanging.**

 **Anyways, what did you guys think of her dream?**


	6. Chapter 6: Suspicion

Chapter 6

 **sophiecampbellbower: No, this isn't a dream that's sent to her by anyone (the archangels, Patch, etc.). It's just something she dreams on her own, and that's all I can say for now (sorry).**

 **I know, it's been a while, but like I said, school's a pain in the ass. And it's only going to get worse. My workload this year has literally quadrupled *groans in frustration* so just bear with me here.**

PATCH POV:

I walked into the Devil's Handbag, anxious to get Marcie out of there as quick as possible. I told her to call me, but she hadn't in almost four hours. This girl was giving me more trouble than I had anticipated.

I first scoped the dance floor; finding no sign of her being there, I reluctantly went to check the bar. There she was, draped over the stool, giggling like a maniac at whatever the bartender had said. Moving quickly, I snatched her arm and pulled her to the exit. Surprisingly, she didn't complain, but her footsteps behind me were crooked and heavy because of her drunken state.

As I pushed her into the Jeep, she started babbling on and on about the crazy bands that were playing tonight. I tuned her incessant rambling and sexual suggestions out as I drove to her house. _This girl honestly didn't know when to stop. No wonder Nora hates her._

I shouldn't have expected things to be so easy; obviously luck would never be on my side. Pulling up in front of the mansion, I sensed a Nephilim inside, watching us. Hank's silhouette moved from the curtain side to the door. As he approached us, I rolled down the window and noted that Marcie shrunk a little bit in her seat.

"Marcie. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Knowing I couldn't trust her with a normal response, I answered, "I brought her home safely."

"And who might you be?" _So he's going to pretend he doesn't know me? To protect his daughter? And there I was thinking that Hank had no humanity left in him._

Before I could 'introduce' myself, Marcie chipped in for me, "It's Patch. You know, my new boyfriend!"

 _Is that so, Patch?_

Snorting in retort, I moved to open the door for Marcie.

 _I heard that you've been hanging out a lot with my daughter._

 _Do you have a problem with that?_

He knew that he was powerless against me – he couldn't do anything to stop me. I could literally terrorize his daughter for weeks on end if I desired and he wouldn't be able to save her.

There was something unsettling about the way Hank looked at me – a blue gelidity in his eyes that disturbed me. An ulterior motive inhabited those icy depths, but I had bigger things to worry about.

He ushered his daughter out of the car and into the house.

Rounding the curve, I sped my way out of the goddamned place.

Closing the door to my studio, I relaxed into my sofa and deliberated my choices.

I hoped against hope that Rixon wasn't who I was protecting Nora from, but the evidence was undeniable. I remembered when the three of us were at Delphic, hanging out near the game stands. Right before I threw the ball at the three pins, an image cracked through my head.

 _Rixon's legs stood firm on the ground beside mine, his hand clutching a blade. His arm spun and the fingers let go; the blade whipped through the air. My eyes were forced to watch in slow motion, my head crawling to the other side to get a glimpse of what Rixon's hand was aiming at. And when my eyes finally landed on the victim, my heart contracted and drop-dead terror clouded my body. My hands and legs lurched too late, failing to reach Nora's body, which soon became lifeless._

I had managed to recover from my shock without giving myself away, but the picture of Nora was engrained in my mind forever.

It wasn't the first time I had gotten a vision pointing to Rixon, but I still had no idea what to make of it. Why would Rixon even want to kill Nora? If anything, he should be trying to kill Marcie for a human body – not my girlfriend.

A repulsing anger coursed through my body, and tears started to burn my eyes at the thought of Rixon – my _best friend_ – betraying me.

And all of a sudden, I felt like the walls started closing in on me, stifling my breaths. _I had to get out of here. And I had to get answers._

I rushed out of the tunnels and into my car.

Half an hour later, I found myself in the shady part of town, where the poor live in rundown buildings. I parked in front of an apartment on the edges of deterioration.

I wasn't sure why she chose to live here of all places. The rational side of me knew that there was more to it that meets the eye, but I was already beat from everything else going on. _God obviously wasn't going to give me a break anytime soon._

Entering the apartment, I sensed out for any fallen angels or Nephilim and decided that the coast was clear. I climbed the stairs and wrenched open the door marked '118'. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing to distinguish her home from the others – nothing on the walls and bed, and nothing but the bare essentials in the cupboards and closets. Frustrated, I set myself down onto her bed.

At around 5:00 AM, she walked in, and recoiled when she finally saw me. I frowned. _Didn't she sense me in here before entering?_

Recovering quickly, she spoke my name, though her voice was shaky.

"Dabria," I acknowledged her. I didn't want to seem too yielding to her, but she took that as a cue to come closer to me.

"What a surprise," she laughed nervously. Again, there was something uneasy in the way she was speaking to me – and she was never uneasy with me, even when I ripped out her wings.

"How have you -?"

 _Enough chit-chat._ "I need to know about memories. I had a weird experience – my memory was somehow inserted into someone else's mind." It sounded stupid just saying it out loud, but that was the truth.

She narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Was it that girl – the one you fell in love with?" She literally spat the words out, as if there was a serpent inside her throat sliding the words out. I wouldn't be surprised if there was.

 _You don't need to know._ I shrugged, assuming a nonchalant pose, but she somehow figured her way through the facade: "It's her. I know."

"OK, it doesn't matter who it is. Just tell me how it happened and how I can do it again."

A sneer curled its way up her face. _She was back._ "Break her head open and walk inside."

Obviously, this wasn't going to be easy. Slowly stalking toward her, a new kind of menace slinked into my voice. "What, you think this is up for negotiation?"

Dabria didn't back away, but at least that stupid smirk was off her face.

"You seem to have forgotten who's boss around here. You seem to have forgotten what I'm capable of, Dabria. You seem to have forgotten who wrenched your wings out, leaving those nasty ass scars on your back. You seem to have forgotten the excruciating pain of your last ties to Heaven leaving you – the last thing you will ever be able to feel for a long time."

I was on a roll, and by that point, I was just full-on patronizing her. She shrank down - there goes her ego – and cowered beneath me.

"If you ever think that you can get away with anything ever again – why, I'll send an invitation to the devil himself."

" _Tell me_ ," I finally commanded her, pulling her up from her fetal position.

"It happened because you and her were on the same emotional level," she whimpered. "You were feeling the same emotions, so you two constructed a mental link with your minds. Whatever you were thinking travelled along that link and ended up in her head."

"Can I control whatever ends up in her mind?"

" _You_ can end up in her mind."

The sinister smirk popped right back onto her face when she saw my confusion.

"It can only happen if you and the person have a seriously deep connection, which is obviously the case here," she grimaced, but continued, "And they have to be deep asleep. You can't walk into their dream if they just got into bed."

"Walk in?"

"Yeah. Once you're sure that they're deep asleep, pull up an image of that person in your head. It has to be as real as possible, and once it has materialized in your head, picture yourself walking over to and touching them. Immediately, you'll be transported into an obscure place with a door somewhere around there. Open it and there you go. You'll be physically in their dream."

I didn't expect her to give me such a _thorough_ explanation. This wasn't like Dabria at all. Trying to read into her motives, I said, "This seems a little too convenient. If that's all there is to it, then anybody can enter anybody's dreams."

"Not necessarily. Like I said before, you have to have a deep emotional background with the subject."

I nodded and wrapped my head around it. It was possible – I could actually communicate with Nora, even when we were apart. But…would they know?

"Can anybody have access to these dreams?"

"Only God," she taunted. _Freaky. Dabria devoted herself to Heaven like no else, and here she was condemning Him._

That means the archangels couldn't spy on me…that means I could be free with Nora. This was way too good to be true. I was getting caught up in her lies.

"Listen up, Dabria. If I find out that any of this – _anything_ – isn't true, you are hellfire," I hissed, emphasizing the last three words.

"Hellfire," she spouted back.

Wishing I could just strangle her on the spot, I slammed the door and rushed out the apartment. Maybe I'd be going out on a limb if I actually decided to try out what Dabria said. But at the same time, I couldn't afford not to. I _needed_ Nora in my life, and I was willing to do anything to keep her in.

As I drove back to my studio, a lost thought in the back of my mind triggered me into opening the window.

 _Her red hair danced wildly, like tendrils of smoke whisking their way through the coolness._

" _The wind feels so nice," she laughed out._

She didn't realize, but the only thing I could think about was how she was being so selfish.

 **Please review! Reviews don't just give you guys the opportunity to leave me feedback (positive + negative), but also motivate me when I'm writing!**


	7. Chapter 7: Quasi Hope

Chapter 7

 **I just realized something the other day. In cliché books/movies/etc, if two bad guys partner up to overthrow something/someone, one of them ALWAYS ends up eliminating the other one after the revolution to become more powerful. So, looking at Patch and Rixon, it was inevitable that one of them would turn on the other. Ugh.**

 **Some unfortunate news: the next few months will be super busy/important/stressful. I won't be updating for a while, but once I'm finished with it, I'll get right back to writing more chapters.**

NORA POV:

I stared at the bowl of Mac & Cheese rotating in the microwave. _3…2…1…_

 _Patch and Marcie_.

I couldn't let it go even though I wanted to. I had given up prodding my brain for the rest of that stupid dream. Sighing, I went upstairs with my food. Maybe I could figure out Patch's connection to Marcie by myself. As I thought long and hard, nothing and everything whirled inside my head.

 _What if she wasn't human? If so, was she fallen angel or Nephilim?_

 _What if she was like Dabria – out to kill me? That wouldn't surprise me, since she's been on my tail since junior high._

 _What if she was out to get Patch?!_

Obviously, I didn't know enough about the supernatural world to guess who Marcie really was, but that didn't stop me from trying. I was stalling sleep so no more nightmares would plague me.

But sometime during my daydreaming of Patch and me together, my mind slipped into a dreamless sleep.

...

Something lodged itself up near my neck. Then another one hit my nose. I had barely processed that one before a third landed again on my face. The fourth one probably bruised my nose. _Enough!_

I forced myself awake, looking around to see who the idiot was that woke me up, but smiled internally when I saw that it was Patch. The sight of him wasn't enough to make me embrace the morning, though.

"It's like six AM," I complained.

"More like nine." _Logic kills Patch._

"Up and at 'em, sunshine." _I'm one hour of sleep away from smacking that smirk off your face._

I pulled the sheets off of my body, and instantly the cold air thrashing my legs registered in my mind. And so did the fact that Patch was looking at me dressed in a cami and Marcie-style shorts.

"You can just…wait here while I get ready," I excused myself. I would have told him to help himself to breakfast or something, and that just reminded me of how lucky I really was compared to him.

Grabbing some clothes that protected me from Patch's hot gaze, I entered the bathroom. As the steam rose from the hot shower I just started, my mind wandered from thought to thought. Patch to Patch. He really has taken over my life in these past two months, and I honestly couldn't remember how I had lived before I met him. Maybe I hadn't really been living. Maybe I was just existing. I shuddered at the thought and continued showering.

Once I came outside, I couldn't help noticing disappointment mark his features. _Had I done something wrong? Did he not want to be here anymore? Did he not like -?_

 _Stop._

"So, what were you up to these past seven hours?"

"Nothing you have to worry about." It wasn't hard to understand – he couldn't tell me. I guess I just had to learn how to deal.

"How has chemistry been?"

Instantaneously, I thought of Marcie. "I'm partners with Marcie, thanks for asking -," I got cut off by his laugh. _How dare he make fun of me…_ Other than feeling angry, I found myself turned on by his laugh. He rarely did so, and that was such a shame since it was so low and territorial and _hot._ I forgave him, but only temporarily.

"Anyways, it's been good. I got an A on the first test, and I'm studying for the next one coming up on Tuesday." I was explaining to him when suddenly I remembered my encounter with Ethan on Friday. It was so crazy, and I suspected that Marcie put him up to this to humiliate me. "Oh my god! You won't believe what happened to me yesterday. Ethan Tyler, one of Marcie's minions, sat next to me in Chemistry. He asked me for a pencil, so I gave him one, and then he just _asked me out!_ I wasn't over you, so I said no. Then he asked if I already had a boyfriend, and when I said no again, he went on prodding about why I rejected him. And then he went on this severe tangent and asked me if _Vee_ was available. Long story short, what do you think that was all about? And," I didn't feel right about lying, but it needed to be asked, "Should we tell Vee and Rixon that we're…friends again?" I waited patiently for his solution. Vee was my best friend, and I didn't want to keep this from her.

"About that, I don't think we should tell them that we're on good terms again." I nodded – it was best to keep it secret so there wouldn't even be any notion indicating that we were together again.

As I mulled over how to keep our relationship on the DL, Patch abruptly exclaimed, "We can't be together." Speechless for a few seconds, I just stared and wondered why he was so blunt about it. Didn't he have any hope? But I didn't want him to know that he affected me badly, so I just nodded and said, "I know."

Another abrupt sentence from Patch: "But we can still hang out…like we are now."

I smiled – he sounded so desperate. Maybe because it was the reason we broke up.

"And we're going to have to be off the radar, just to be safe." He looked like he wanted to say something more, but decided against it, and said goodbye.

Once he left, the realization hit me that throughout this entire conversation we didn't touch each other at all. Some lack of affection thrust a barrier between us. But I couldn't give up hope yet. Things _would_ get better, and I'd make sure of it.

* * *

PATCH POV:

She looked adorable sleeping in those lavender sheets. And all I wanted to do was get in with her.

I threw a pillow at her face to wake her up – getting too close would only tempt me more. After about three more tries, she finally grunted and rose from her sleeping position.

"It's like six AM," she groaned.

"More like nine. Up and at 'em, sunshine." I didn't even bother refraining my smirk.

As she got out of the bed, my eyes were immediately drawn to her bare legs. _Those long, sexy legs of hers…_

Turning away from her figure, I tried distracting myself with other thoughts. Unfortunately, that failed: all I could think about was Nora.

Once she came back out of the bathroom, I almost moaned in frustration because she had changed into some pants.

"So, what were you up to these past seven hours?"

"Nothing you have to worry about." She pursed her lips, but she had to stop being so stubborn if this was going to work. Beating around the bush, I asked her how summer school has been.

"I'm partners with Marcie, thanks for asking -," she was explaining when I laughed. Out loud. Obviously, that was a wildly inappropriate move; she glowered at me, but she couldn't blame me – it was _hilarious._

"Anyways, it's been good. I got an A on the first test, and I'm studying for the next one coming up on Tuesday. Oh my god! You won't believe what happened to me yesterday…" I tuned out the rest of her rant. Not that I didn't care, but I couldn't stop overthinking things.

She caught my attention once again when she mentioned Rixon and Vee. She looked at me expectantly…Had she just asked me a question?

"About that, I don't think we should tell them that we're on good terms again," I replied, successfully recovering from my mishap as she looked satisfied with my answer. _Smooth._

 _Time to plunge through the bush._ "We can't be together." _Dammit. That was not how I wanted to break it to her._

Surprisingly, she took it well. "I know." Lingering around her response was an aura of defeat, and I really wanted to tell her that I'd been working on a secret form of communication, but I didn't want to get her hopes up in case it didn't work.

"But we can still hang out…like we are now," I blurted out. Her face instantly brightened and I found myself grinning alongside her.

"And we're going to have to be off the radar, just to be safe." _We can possibly be off radar in our dreams…_

Skin glowing, grey eyes twinkling, wild hair flaring, Nora stood there smiling at me, and the whole situation screamed _dangerous._

"Listen, I've got to get going again, and I'm not sure when I'll see you again, but I'll try my best to get back soon." I gave her a reassuring smile and got the hell out of there.

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	8. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Am I horrible or am I horrible?

I sincerely apologize for not updating! Really and truly!

School has been stressful this year, and I'm not just saying that because school is always stressful…this has been a really important year for me, and what can I say? Certain priorities come first.

I should have warned you, but I honestly didn't plan on being idle for this long. I really thought that I'd be able to get back into it after a certain date this year, but before I even knew what hit me, responsibilities piled up one on top of the other, crushing the life out of me, the poor old soul stuck at the bottom.

I feel even worse because "Hush Hush" doesn't even have that many fanfics, and if you're anything like me, you feel disappointed that there just isn't that much to read on Patch and Nora.

For all this neglect and disappointment and false hope and abandonment, I'm deeply and terribly sorry!

I promise - I don't take promises lightly - to start working on this once school is over! It will definitely take a while to get back into the swing of things and remember where exactly I want to take this story, but mind you, I WILL get back to working on it!

Until then, _¡Tenga un día tremendo!_


	9. Chapter 8: Black Hurricane

Chapter 8

 **Hey guys! Long time no see, and I deeply apologize for the wait. School actually sucked the life out of me, but it's summer now, so hopefully I'll have more time to write.**

 **Note of clarification: mind-speak will now be in quotes and italics, while regular inner thoughts will be in italics.**

NORA POV:

"Hey, Vee. You want to go shopping today?"

One loud squeal from the other end later, Vee rolled up my driveway, waiting for me to get in. Grabbing my keys and bag, I headed out the door. I should have been studying for Chemistry that Saturday. But the only thing that was going to distract me from my worries was a day out with my best friend, not a date with electrons.

"Hey, babe!"

A smile was plastered on my face as I got into the Neon. She rambled about some random things all the way to the mall.

"You want to go to that fancy new store they opened up at the corner?"

I nodded and followed her along the sidewalk.

As we entered the store, she noted, "You're awfully quiet today. What's up, babe?"

I mentally facepalmed myself; she _couldn't_ just let me be. Maybe I could fake losing my voice or something.

"Nothing really. Hey, look! Isn't that the dress you've been wanting for the past couple of weeks?"

She was thankfully distracted as she talked about how good that dress would look on her if she could afford it.

* * *

PATCH POV:

My senses were buzzing, driven by adrenaline and adrenaline alone. Five Nephilim played pool with two humans three tables down from where I played. I'd already identified three of them as members of the Nephilim blood society; their brands stuck out on their collarbones, and utmost arrogance plagued their table. No doubt they would convince the other two to join also.

After a few more rounds, I saw them leave and move to the back of the building, perhaps in favor of seclusion. _As if I would let that happen._

Five minutes later, I left my table in search of them. As I got closer, alarms started ringing in my head, warning me of the danger and disgust that lay ahead. I've been at it for hundreds of years, and yet I still couldn't figure out how to control more than one Nephil's mind at a time. It was easy with humans, but it seemed as if there was a barrier in my head, hindering me from focusing on more than one Nephil - even the weak ones. Knowing tricks like these were especially handy in situations like this. But I didn't, so I couldn't stop them from being alerted of my presence, let alone force them all to spout out all of their secrets.

Expecting an attack, I walked in to meet glum faces compared to my confident one.

"What are you doing here?" barked a Nephil branded with the fist. Calmness was not what I anticipated from a member – in fact, I envisioned the total opposite - animosity.

Ignoring his question, I acknowledged the men without the brands, "I suggest you two get the hell out of here. You know, for your own safety."

"Be bossed around by a fallen angel? Hell no, boy."

 _Well I gave you a chance. You should have taken it._ I didn't waste any time with those half-breeds. Moving quickly to the left side of the room where a brandless one stood, I grabbed the hem of this T-shirt, lifted his figure up, and slammed him against the wall, covered with rusty nails I might add. An agonizing howl erupted from his mouth, and I resisted the urge to laugh and take pride in his pain. _Because of Nora._

"So you'd rather be beaten up by a fallen angel?" I taunted. The young boy attempted to kick me, but I flung him at another man and beckoned the others with my middle finger.

Another young idiotic Nephil charged at me. I thrust my arm in front of me and awaited his assault. Once he plunged himself into me, I drove my fist straight through his midsection with all my strength. I met some resistance at first but eventually rammed his stomach, liver, a couple smaller organs, and a few vertebrae out of his body. Unlike with fallen angels, there were no specific ways to immobilize Nephilim, but this guy would definitely be taking his time retrieving his vitals.

Right as he fell backwards, a burly wrestler-type dude hurled himself at me. Before he could reach for my throat, I clawed his out while simultaneously kneeing him in the groin. Blood spurted onto me. _Did I just get a filthy Nephil's blood on me?_

I wiped it with the back of my hand and smacked his body to the side. The other two proved smarter and therefore took longer to tame.

The man with the large, squishy nose that reminded me of a clown's red one produced a knife from his coat, ready to stab me.

Deciding that the other one – the one with warts dangling from every square inch of his face – was easier to handle since he had no weapon, I ventured into his mind and proceeded with the attack. He fought back, pushing me back with all his strength, but I conjured a sword up for a counterattack. As he struggled to pull up a weapon of his own, I decapitated him. I immediately gained control of the unsurprisingly vacant space and instructed it to kill the other guy.

Warty wouldn't move until I pushed him in the right direction – he was still resisting me – but eventually he got the idea and proceeded to kill off his buddy.

"Ned! The hell are you doing?" Warty punched Clownface in the guts and smacked his face.

As their battle pursued, in Warty's mind, a new force started to push up against me: Clownface. I guess he finally realized that I was controlling his friend. As I started to fight him off, he unexpectedly backed me up against a wall. _Where the hell did that come from?_

And then it hit me – Clownface and Warty were _sandwiching_ me with their minds. They physically crushed my body, and mentally, I felt as if a grindstone just pulverized me. I've experienced numerous tricks from both fallen and Nephilim, but never something this _powerful_ or as oppressing as this. Nephilim were too stupid to be this clever.

Confused and in extreme pain, I exited his mind. It wasn't worth it, and frankly, I didn't think I could win.

Still a little dazed, I planted a roundhouse kick in Clownface's abdomen repeatedly. He lunged toward me, but I grabbed his face and wrenched it all the way back until it hit his spine, causing his neck to split open. Even through all this, he managed to put some energy in to try to swipe my legs. _Relentless to the end…_ I jumped just in time and landed on his stomach on the way down, finishing him off for good.

All around me the Nephilim either writhed in agony or lay there, motionless. Taking the opportunity to clear myself, I wiped their mind of any trace that they had even come here today. I turned around to face Warty. Clearly, his mind was still jumbled from the ambush, but I wasn't about to give him a break anytime soon.

I seized him by his neck, half-strangling him in the process, and deposited him in the next room over. No leeway when it came to these creatures.

 _Interrogation time._ Setting myself down backwards on a chair, I contemplated how to go about obtaining answers from him. He was still physically strong, so violence wouldn't be the smartest approach. I decided to start off as good cop.

"You part of that society?"

" _Lie to me, and you'll end up like your friends back there,"_ I spoke to his mind, jerking my thumb backwards.

"Yeah," he grunted.

 _Aren't we off to a great start?_ I cringed at my own false enthusiasm bleeding through my words.

He looked agitated. I looked like I was having the time of my life.

"So who's the leader?"

At this, he smirked and quipped, "I don't know."

Fury fired through my veins. _Who did this smart aleck think he was?_

But at the same time, a feeling of uneasiness settled into my stomach. It seemed as if he were telling the truth.

"Then how were you recruited?"

"Everyone's recruited differently. The Black Hand found me personally."

"Well if you were recruited by the leader, then you should know who he is." I couldn't help the irritation that slipped into my voice; these idiots couldn't be idiotic enough to not even know who their leader was, right?

"Recruited me _anonymously._ There's really no way of finding out who he is. Besides, it's insignificant."

"How?"

"We're all fighting for our freedom. From your kind. Who cares who our leader is?"

There had to _someone_ who knew something about him. "Doesn't he have some sort of group he relies on? For security, errands, etc?"

"Of course. But nobody knows them either."

Maybe I just stumbled upon a mentally deficient Nephil.

"Listen up, Warty." As I called him by his nickname, his face scrunched up in confusion, and I had to fight off my laughter. "You better tell me the truth and only the truth. What do you know about the Black Hand?"

He fidgeted in his seat, and I knew he was hiding something big. "Well, the only thing we know is that he isn't happy."

"About?"

"I don't know, about the circumstances? He's furious about something."

"And that something is?" I spurred him on, feeling like I was talking to a kindergartener.

"Again – nobody knows."

 _Keep up the poker face, Patch. Don't let this inconsequential half-breed breach your cool._

"How long has the Black Hand been running your little society?"

"A few months."

That didn't make any sense. He couldn't have accrued so many followers in such a short time. Hell, even Parnell was recruited a while ago.

"You're lying. Explain yourself, now," I commanded.

"Am not!" Now I _knew_ I was talking to a kindergartener. "The Black Hand wasn't the founder of the society – he just became leader a few months ago."

A few months ago? That was when Chauncey died…that couldn't be a coincidence, could it?

"Who was the old leader, and how long has the society been operating?"

"I don't know."

 _I'll be the first to nominate you for the "Most Helpful" Award._

"Then how did you know the leader changed?"

"There was a big commotion that relayed from the top where the Black Hand is, all the way to us."

Well, I couldn't be sure, but Chauncey was most likely the leader of the society. The timing of the leadership change was too eerily close to be a coincidence. That filthy bastard had built up this society without my noticing?

Swearing under my breath, I resorted to a different set of questions.

"OK, so do you all have some place where you meet up? Where you get orders from your superiors?"

His eyes darted from side to side; he wasn't going to tell me without a little push.

I rose up from my chair and walked towards him. Instantly, he rose up also, but he stood his ground.

"Look here, Warty. If you don't tell me right now…" I let the suspense finish my sentence for me.

"Buddy, I've already told you what I know," _which wasn't much_ , "but I…if I tell you this, I'm gonna be in big trouble. The Black Hand is notorious for being ruthless, you know."

 _Ok, I've already given you one chance too many._

And with that, I launched into his mind, excited for some fun. I conjured up a black hurricane, one of my favorite mind-tricks to pull on stubborn-ass Nephils like Warty. As the storm approached, lightning shot out from its centre, striking him in the heart.

 _That was easy – he didn't even put up a fight._

As I gathered up the reins of his mind, fear swamped the fellow's mind. If he was this scared of me, why hadn't he just fessed up?

" _Tell me the truth."_ I commanded. _"Where are your society's headquarters?"_

With a little jerk from me, he spouted all the details.

This was going to be an interesting ride.

 **Thank you mariaxxx for the kind reviews! Y'all as readers have NO idea how much one single review impacts a writer! I think that if you just take a few seconds to type a review for any story out there, it will mean the world to the writer.**

 **Have a wonderful day!**


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